Atwater gets best of Moreau

Bear Vasquez felt a little different going through pregame warmups.
“I told coach (Greg) Euker before the game I felt good,” the Atwater High senior said. “I called it out before the game I was going to have a good game.”

“I told coach (Greg) Euker before the game I felt good,” the Atwater High senior said. “I called it out before the game I was going to have a good game.”

Vasquez wasn’t lying.

The first baseman went 2 for 4 at the plate, including a two-run homer deep into the night, as he knocked in three runs to lead the Falcons (10-5) to a 9-2 win over Moreau in the 54th Annual Fran Oneto/Atwater-Winton Lions Easter Baseball Tournament at Fireman’s Memorial Ballpark on Tuesday night.

Vasquez put the exclamation on the night with his two-run blast in the seventh inning to help Atwater defeat the Mariners, which beat the Falcons in the championship game of the tournament last year.

“It felt great, coming off the bat I knew it,” Vasquez said. “When he fell behind 2-1 in the count, I knew he had to come with the heater. Coach Euker talks about cheating on the fastball.”

Vasquez wasn’t the only Atwater hitter with a big night. The top five hitters in the order combined to go 10 for 17 at the plate, including a 4 for 4 performance from Dalton Beatty.

Vic Tiscareno, Tyler Zeller and Matt Parker all helped Beatty and Vasquez to score all nine of the Falcons runs.

“Dalton has been consistent all year,” Atwater coach Jarrod Pimentel said. “Right now, Victor, Matt and Bear have been turning it on the last two weeks.”

Beatty drove in two runs and also scored two. Parker chipped in with three RBIs.

“The first two times up I felt kind of shaky,” Beatty said. “The second two times up I felt good.

“When the top of the lineup starts hitting that will get the bottom of the lineup hitting and that’s when we start scoring runs.”

Right-hander Quinn Hickman gave the Falcons their second straight complete game of the tournament. Atwater is the only 2-0 team in the tournament.

The junior pitched around six walks in the game with the help of three double plays.

Livingston 6, Minarets 5

C.J. Avila collected two hits and scored a run as the Wolves jumped out to a 6-2 lead early and held on.